Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-15
Blue Jackets Charge at Fort
Fisher.

About the middle of December, 1864. a
large fleet OF men, of-war and gunboats left
Hampton Roads and proceeded to Fort
Fisher, North Carolina: accompanied by a
heet OF transports carrying seven or eight
thousand soldiers under the command of
General Butler.
Fort Fisher was strong fertilization,
covering five acres of land at the mouth of
Cape Fear River, and was allowed to grow
III strength and magnitude during nearly
four years of the war without being mo-
Tested. 1t was mounted with large num-
Der of guns of the heaviest caliber and
most improved make. The bombardment
OF the fort for three days by the navy, under
Admiral Porter, and General Buffers re-
turn without accomplishing anything, is
matter of history; but the charge made by
the sailors of Admiral Porter's fleet, Oh the
18th day of January, 1865, has been but
slightly explained.
Admiral Porter conceived the idea of car
rying the fort by storm in conjunction with
General Terry, who had charge of the
troops of this expedition, by landing a
force of sailors and marines from the fleet
His plan was to lombard the fort for
two or three days and dismount as many of
its guns as possible; then to land as many
men from the feet as could be spared
each man to be armed with cutlass and
revolver.
When the soldiers entered the fort from
the rear, the sailors were to attack the fort
on the sea face or front, and charge the
enemy in the rear at close quarters. thus
bringing them between two fires, and finish
the affair in that way. So in the afternoon
of the 18th the fleet landed about two thou
sand men one mile from the fort on the
md ha hoI 1oI
two days before. They made ready to
charge as soon as the troops should COM
mence their part of the work. but it was
claimed that the sailors received orders to
move half an hour before the soldiers were
ready for the attack. Yet they started at
double quick time up the beach. The
enemy opened fire upon us with artillery
and nluslletry all the way, and the path
was soon strewn with the dead and
wounded; still they pressed on and reached
the stockade, where a large gap had been
made by the shot and shell from the ships,
and rushed at the fort. BY this time, nearly
or quite one-third of the men had either
been killed or wounded. Then came the
tug Of war. \ nearly perpendicular wall
rising about twenty feet, confronted US. its
top surlnounted with Confederates, armed
with muskets, who We're dealing
thinned ranks. 1t was more th1n flesh and
blood could stand, for our arms We're ill.,
efficient for retaliation, and it was only
useless waste of life to try to
scale the fort. Some laid down and
met their fate beneath the ramparts: others
retreated back along the beach, coming
again under the fire of the enemy. But
while this was going on the soldiers had
entered the fort in the rear and had gained
an important point before meeting the
enemy.
Such was the result of the charge by our
sailors, who, through somebody's blunder,
were ruthlessly slaughtered without the
means of returning the deadly fire poured
upon them.
Many people have asked why the charge
of the sailors was not more objective.
I will try and answer.
The Contedera.es had some three thou
sand men in the fort, and their whole force
was concentrated against The charge IN
front They supposed t at tie sailors and
marines were tie main body, and that the
force armed with muskets behind such
breastworl was sufficient to keep back four
times our number with comparatively no
arms at all. And again, the same force
held ont against twice their number OF our
troops inside the fort from about four
o'clock till half-past nine Iefore they sur
rendered, That the charge OF the sailors
was not effective was not the fault OF
ADMIRAL Porter, and, lad his plan been
c,rred out, it must have been OF great
service in capturing the fort.
That someone blnndered there is no doubt,
and it caused u usele sacrifice o. life
without accomplishing any good other than
to draw the enemy's fire until our solulefs |